Inverted Image
by Forrest Weird
Summary: A young couple visit Ponyville when a riff between them tears them appart.  It is up to Rainbow Dash to get them back together.


Dear Princess Celestia,

My name is Hyperguy, Duke of Notrelluf. Your student, Twilight Sparkle, has informed me of this relationship report system, and I feel that I should right you one, for I too have learned a value able lesson.

Now it is important that I inform you on my back-story. I am not from Equestria, nor am I from this dimension. In fact, being a pony is not the form I usually take. This was something that I must admit your student was having a hard time, what's the word, adjusting to. She was constantly trying to disprove me, which was a large annoyance considering the situation I was in, but I digress. Anyway, I am from a realm known as Hammerspace, serving as its diplomat to a planet known by non-indigenous life-forms as Terra, which I have seemed to notice as some parallels with Equestria. Please be aware that I haven't gotten your kingdom's dialect down exactly, so I will use the one I use for diplomatic visits.

The reason my now-fiancée Cassandra and I came to your kingdom was to settle a wager concerning a rumor that was spreading throughout Terra regarding and entity that, for the sake of argument, will be referred to as Doctor Whooves, who has frequently made visits to Terra and has saved it and other planets on several occasions. The rumor stated a pony residing in the town of Ponyville had a striking resemblance to Doctor Whooves, and many speculated whether it was him transformed into a pony (which isn't his default form either) or it was a pony that looked like him by coincidence. I had made a wager with Cassandra that it was not him.

It was him. Now I have to announce publicly my closet obsession, but that's not really important. What is important is our conversation with him.

"Hyperguy? Cassandra? Is that you?" he asked as we approached him.

"Wait," I said to him, "You know me?"

"Of course I do," he said. "We saved the bloody Earth together."

"I've never met you in my entire existence."

"What's the matter with you Hyperguy? It's like…oh I get it. I've met you in my timeline, but you haven't met me in your timeline. I guess that's going to happen when time traveling, meeting someone again for the first time. Happen to me with Rose, however that was a more depressing one."

"So you know what happens to us in the future?" Cassandra asked Doctor Whooves.

"Cassandra," I quipped, "You should know better."

"I was just going to ask him about us," she said to me sternly.

"That's okay," Doctor Whooves said. "I can probably safely share a few things, Duchess Cassandra."

"Duchess?" Cassandra asked. "You mean we're going to be married?"

A wave of dread fell over me. To have your future told is one thing, to have it told by someone as sincere as Doctor Whooves was sadly something different. I became so filled with doubt. I wasn't sure that Cassandra was the one for me. We had only really dated for a few months now. I didn't know if I was ready.

"Hyperguy, is there something wrong?" Doctor Whooves asked me.

"Everything's fine," I lied. "Well, it was nice to see you again for the first time, Doctor, but we really must be off."

"Hyperguy, why don't we stay in town for just a little while longer?" Cassandra asked. "It's not like we are in a rush to get back to the hotel."

That is something I must explain a little. The hotel that Cassadra and I were staying in received a bomb threat, which had nothing to do with my diplomatic position, but due to the fact that everyone residing there was insane. That's one recommendation I will not pass on.

"I suppose you're right, Cassandra," I replied to her.

"You can stay in the TARDIS if you want to," Doctor Whooves offered.

"That's nice, Doctor," I said, "but I wouldn't want to impose."

"Hyperguy," Cassandra said, "We don't have any other option."

I knew she was right, but I had had enough of the equine Time Lord.

I snapped out, "You silly girl, of course there's over options. I'm a Hammerspacian, there are always options."

"Honey, are you okay?"

I became furious. "Okay? Of course I'm not okay. I have had it up to here with your impulsiveness. I have to stop you from burning everything to the ground. Why can't you act more like a lady?"

"I am a lady."

"You wouldn't know a lady if one happened to show up right now!"

I know you're familiar with Rarity, and for some reason she just walked by us. My eyes widened. There stood a lady. She was graceful; she was well-mannered; she was everything Cassandra wasn't.

"See, that is a lady. You should be more like her."

"You want me to be like a stuck-up snob like her? I would rather date Sherlac."

"Well then, you better start looking for him, because we! Are! Through!"

And with that I sped away as fast as I could. I didn't know where I was going, nor did I care. I just wanted to leave it all behind me.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

I was surprised to look up and see that a pegasus was matching my speed.

"I'm the fastest pony in Equiestria," she shouted, "and you're not going to beat me."

I halted in annoyance. "You just as bad as her."

The young pegasus made a u-turn and stopped in front of me. "What is that suppose to mean?"

"Just my luck. I start running away from an impulsive, immature brat, and another one starts following me."

"I am not a brat. I'm Rainbow Dash, the fastest pony in Equestria."

I was not amused. "Yes, you already stated that tidbit of knowledge."

"Well it's true."

"I don't have time to deal with you or your ego."

"Look who's talking. I'm not the one acting like a total jerk."

"Oh, you're going to see what a real jerk is like. DIMENSIONAL DISTORTION!" and with that she fell to the ground.

"Hey what gives? I can't move."

"What you are experiencing is five times this planet's gravity."

"How is that possible?"

"It's a simple application of math and science. I would explain it to, but you probably wouldn't comprehend even that."

"How is it you can use magic? You're not even a unicorn."

"I am not from this world," I shouted as I transformed into my humanoid form, "What makes you think its rules apply to me?"

"Well, well, well," a familiar voice said.

I looked up to see someone who would make it all worse. "What do you want, Sherlac?"

"I'm just so proud of me," my inverted duplicate said grinning. "I always knew that I had potential."

"I am nothing like you."

"Oh really? How about I take a look at that young pony's face?"

I looked down at Rainbow Dash as froze at the sight at her frighten eyes.

"It kind of looks like the way she looked."

I am about to tell you something I've never told another soul. Three years ago, I became infatuated with a Terran girl named Amanda. Back then, I had very little impulse control, and one day I chased her until I finally pinned her down. Then my old teacher came and was able to calm me down. I felt devastated. And with that Sherlac, a personification of the darkness within me, was formed. Since that day, I trained hard so I could be able contain it, for I was afraid of the destruction I could create; I was afraid to fall in love. Then I met Cassandra. She gave me hope, for she was the first to say that she loved me. And that was what Sherlac hated. He knew that as long as I was with Cassandra, he could never take control. A week ago, he thought could gain advantage by created an inverted Cassandra, but he failed for the love between us was too strong. And now, he was on the verge of succeeding, because I let him.

"I must admit, Sherlac," I said to my dark relfection, "you almost had me there." I fixed Rainbow Dash's gravity. "I'm sorry," I said changing back to pony form. "I know that you'll never forgive me. How could I have been so foolish? I have to find Cassandra."

"You will do no such thing," Sherlac demanded as he warped in front of me. "I've been waiting far too long to have this opportunity to slip by me. You will be mine." He then pounced at me.

But then, something I never expected happened: Rainbow Dash attacked him and actually managed to damage him. For years, I thought I was the only one who could stand a chance against him, but somehow this foolishly brave pegasus was beating him. What also surprised me was the fact that a minute ago, I was about to harm her, and yet she was helping me. It didn't make sense to me, which I must admit is a feeling I never really liked.

Eventually Sherlac retreated. Rainbow Dash began to cheer while she punched the air.

"Why," I asked.

"Why what?" She replied.

"Why did you help me, after all I've done to you?"

"You said you were sorry."

"And you forgave me just like that?"

"Duh, that's what you're supposed to do. Are you from some sort of planet where ponies don't do that?"

"Not as much as they should."

I walked back to Ponyville, looking for Cassandra as Rainbow Dash searched the skies. Along the way, I met her friends, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and, of course, Rarity. Apparently Cassandra got the nerve to ask her on how to be more like a lady, but I said that I liked her just the way she was.

Over the next week, we vacationed in Ponyville, and at the end of it I said to Doctor Whooves, "I now know why you have them."

"Have what?" He answered.

"Companions."

"Ah, wonderful, aren't they?"

"They sure are. That's why I'm going to ask Cassandra to marry me."

"Congradulations. When's it going to be?"

"I think you already know."

I learned that when a friendship grows strong enough, it becomes love, which is stronger than any obstacle placed before it. That is why I wrote to you.

Sincerely,

Hyperguy, Duke of Notrelluf


End file.
